A shame she hadn’t taken her own advice when Harden declined the opportunity to merge with Young and Boorowa. She instead immediately started a campaign. These words are taken directly from a Boorowa Council media release on March 15, 2016.

Boorowa Council today launches a campaign against the government’s proposal to merge Boorowa and Young on the basis that second best is not good enough.

To the NSW Government’s “Merger of Convenience” the Community of Boorowa says No!

“We are urging members of the Boorowa Community to attend a Public Inquiry meeting on Tuesday, April 5 at Boorowa Ex-Services Club from 6pm,” said Boorowa mayor Wendy Tuckerman. “It is imperative that our community takes a firm stance against this new proposal,” she said.

“I want to make it clear that this is not about having anything against Young, it is firmly about getting the best outcome for our strong and growing region,” mayor Tuckerman said. “The amalgamation of three councils is a better outcome than two on a range of fronts, particularly in terms of the financial advantages and a balance of representation," she said.  “We are calling for Boorowa residents to come together on April 5, and put forward the case against a two-way merger for the benefit of the community.”

I thought Boorowa Says No sounded pretty negative but negativity is apparently what others engage in when they don’t agree with you. 

On the face of it, things worked out great – for administrator Tuckerman. Everything she could have wished for has eventuated. She is the highest power on the new council, answerable only to the minister, her previous GM from Boorowa, now Hilltops GM is the second highest, she has a handpicked team of advisors and everyone is being remunerated for their efforts. This will of course be relatively short lived, assuming elections occur next September.

Lets see the benefits for the old Harden Shire now and in the future – We didn’t get our preferred option of Cootamundra despite numerous government assurances and overwhelming community support, no one who lives in the old Harden Shire is in senior management, we no longer have our elected councillors, instead we have Mrs Tuckerman who as shown above actively lobbied against the outcome most of Harden residents wanted to one she deemed better for her community of Boorowa, staff turnover appears higher under the new system with a number of people leaving council or retiring in recent months, large local developments reportedly in limbo, transition budget costs already blowing out by 1.44 million and with the Office of Local Government’s recommendation being for 11 councillors that would mean a councillor for every 1750 people in the future, post elections.

Office of Local Govt.  figures show a population of 3600 people in the old Harden Shire area. Incidentally, Boorowa fares even worse with 2500. Young in comparison has 12,800 people, so it doesn’t take a genius to work out how this is going to impact on local representation. 

So I am curious as to how this process has or is going to provide the long-term  financial and representative benefits quoted to my community in Harden, or Boorowa in the longer term for that matter. All in all, very little to cheer about. So, sorry Administrator Tuckerman, the bad taste lingers, and the future looks uncertain at best and downright grim at worst. And no amount of grinning state govt ministers holding oversize novelty cheques or pleas to play as a team for the greater good are going to change my mind.